View the non-JAWS audio-described version of Trieva’s Story
Trieva Smith is a dynamic presence at our Seattle facility. She is small in stature, mighty in spirit, has an unwavering passion for life, and an inspiring story.
“I am the perfect example that blindness can happen to anyone. I was anyone. Not only did I lose my job, I lost my independence and I felt scared and defeated.” — Trieva Smith
Fourteen years ago, Trieva was a pre-school teacher and had been for 15 years. She was earning her teaching certificate and had plans to become an Assistant Director for her employer. “I loved my job and all the kids I got to work with. I was living on my own and could easily run errands, go out with my friends, or go to the mall and shop till I dropped!”
Unfortunately, it was during this time she began having a series of migraines, which inevitably affected her vision. Slowly, she began to go blind. She did her best to hide her vision loss, and completed her degree. But her eye condition soon became obvious, as her supervisor began noticing Trieva fumbling around. “Yep, the gig was up!” shares Trieva. The job she loved so much was no longer going to work out for her, and Trieva found herself unemployed.
Trieva Smith working in production
After six months of wondering what she was going to do, Trieva connected with the Department of Services for the Blind, who connected her with the Orientation and Training Center, where she learned to navigate the world as a person who is blind. “Being around other people who are blind was comforting to me,” says Trieva, “and I learned a lot.” One year later, she graduated from that program and with her confidence back, was looking for a job.
Trieva was hired by another non-profit organization where she worked for nine-and-a-half years but ultimately did not see a future there. Thanks to one of her coworkers, she heard about another organization called the Lighthouse. She applied and was hired and immediately found a sense of belonging.
“Fourteen years ago my life came to a sudden halt when I became blind. Today I have a full time job, I am living independently, and I am definitely feeling empowered!”
At the Lighthouse, Trieva works in production, manufacturing products under the AbilityOne Program. She is thankful for her work environment, saying, “All my immediate coworkers are people who are blind or vision impaired. “Even my supervisor, Carla, is a person who is blind and encourages me all the way.” In her three-and-a-half years at the Lighthouse, Trieva has taken advantage of all the classes and opportunities the Lighthouse provides: braille, American Sign Language, and Orientation and Mobility, which all have helped her become more independent. She is grateful for the doors these classes open, and says, “I want to better myself and gain skills so that I may move up in my career.”
